Process and apparatus for rapidly shaping hats.



P, STOFPEL.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR RAPIDLY SHAPING HATS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1912.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

lNVE/VTOR WITNESSES:

1 a zg F. T FFEL. rnocnss AND AP RAPIDLY s NG HATS.

APPLI 10 SEPT. 25, 19

LQ8Q 73L' Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

' 2 8KEET8BHEET 2.

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FERNAND STOFFEL, OF PARIS,

' VACUUM HAND BLOCKING NEW YORK.

FRANCE, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 CO., INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF,

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR RAPIDLY SHAPING HATS.

To all whom it mayhem-em." i

Be it known that I, FERNAND Srorrnn, a citizen of the Republic of France, and a) resident of Paris, France, have invented a new and useful Process and Apparatus for Rapidly Shaping Hats, of which the following is a description.

This invention relates to a process and apparatus for carrying out the same, allowing of shaping hats of straw, felt, or other material by steam and vacuum combined acting successively, in such a manner as to replace the work of shaping or putting on the block and passing over the shape again with a smooth iron by hand, as practised in this industry.

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawing, will enable the manner in which this invent-ion is carried into effect to be well understood.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of one form of the apparatus employed. Fig. 2 1s a cor- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed september 25, 1912.

responding View of a modification of the apparatus. Figs. 3 and 4 represent in verti- (:11 section, another form of the apparatus in two modifications allowing the employment of ordinary blocks or molds of wood or other suitable material. Figs. 5 and 6 are vertical sections showing the apparatus used in cases where the hat is manufactured in two parts. This process for rapidly shaping hats consists in first softening the hat impregnated with size by the usual process, for example, by means of steam and then pressing it by means of a vacuum, and an elastic and impermeable membrane onto a perforated mold for putting it into shape and drying it (Figs. 1 and 2) or onto an ordinary block or mold in one or more partsresting upon a perforated metal case, (Figs. 3 and 4.)

The apparatus (Figs. 1 and 2) for carrying out this process consists of a metal mold A of copper for example, having exactly the shape which it is required to give to the hat to be made; this mold, according to the circumstances, may be recessed as is shown in Fig. 1, or in relief as shown in Fig. 2, and the mold, in both cases, constitutes the Patented Dec. 9, 1913. Serial No. 722,227.

cover of an air tight metal case B, in which steam can be admitted through the tube C, and a vacuum be created through the tube D in succession. The first operation consists in covering the metal mold, which is made With a large number of small holes, with the hat E to be shaped, and in admitting to the interior the steam which will heat the mold, and at the same time, as it issues through the holes, will spread over the surface of the hat, thus softening the size with which it is impregnated. The said size, when dry, is designed to keep the hat in shape. The shaping is then proceeded with, by covering the mold A and the hat E with an elastic and impervious membrane F and creating the vacuum in the interior of the mold. This membrane which, for example, may be of felt coated with indiarubber and which has, itself, been previously shaped upon the mold will therefore be firmly applied against the hat, forcing it to assume the shape of every part of the mold. This mold having been heated by the preceding operation of admitting steam, the hat is sufliciently softened; the vacuum, at the same time that it closely applied the said hat to its mold, materially. assists its drying by rapidly absorbing its moisture. In this manner, a dry straw hat can be produced in less than one minute, and a felt hat in two or three minutes, thus effecting a great saving in hand labor and time. It will be understood that the softening of the hats can be previously eifected outside the mold, and that only the operation of shapin'g would then take place on the mold.

The apparatus represented in Fig. 3 has the great advantage that it enables perforated molds to be dispensed with and allows the employment of ordinary molds already existing in the hat industry. It consists, mainly, of a case B provided with two tubes, as before, one of the said tubes D serving for the admission of the steam and the other tube 0" for the vacuum. The said case is provided with a fiat perforated top G upon which is placed the hat mold or block for example in two parts A, A In this case the hat E is ,placed upon the part A of the mold or block before placing the second part A in position. The flexible and impervious membrane F can be fixed either to the case as shown in Fig. 3 or to the upper end of a vertical circular wall H, situated above the case and forming part thereof, as shown in Fig. 4. The operation of shaping is efiected exactly in the same manner as before described; it is commenced,

by introducing the steam into the case B and which as it issues through the holeg in the perforated top G moistens and softens the size in the hat E. done the steam tube D is closed and the vacuum tube C opened so that the membrane F is hermetically applied to the edges of the hat carried by the part A of the 'mold and against the part A 'of themold in such a manner as to properly shape the hat.

This having been In cases where the hat is made in two parts 1 instead of a single piece as represented in Figs. 3 and 4, the molding or shaping of the brim of the hat and of its crown are efi'e'cted separately as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6.- A mold I for the brim is then placed on the case, the brim J of the hat is placed on the said mold and the operation is proceeded with as before- Then on the sarK e-case or-o'n another case a mandrel'K is placed for the crown of the hat, it is covered with the crown L, and the operation is proceeded with as before described.

Claimsa p r I: process for shaping hats consisting in first softening the hat, and then ressing it by avacuum against a perforated means of an, elastic and impermeable membrane, substantially as hereinbefore described.

2. An apparatus for. shaping hats, com

prising aperforated metal mold made of the form .of a hatto. be shaped, a metal case in which steam can be admitted and a vacuum created in succession, and an elastic membrane which may be laced-upon the hat to be shaped. when the latter is in place upon said mold and which is adapted to press said hat firmly against the mold when a vacuum is created said case, substantially as hereinbefore described.

3. An apparatus-for shaping hats comprismold by inga metal case having a flat perforated top; amold or block adapted to fit upon said ca e top, valve controlled steam and. vacuum' pipes, and a flexible and impervious. mem-"T brane fixed upon the periphery of'the case,

whereby said membrane may be pressed against saidmold or block on which is placed the hat during the vacuum operation, sub

' stantially ashereinbefore described.

4;. A process for. shaping and ressinghats, comprising placing a hat-shape etween' anew-e1 a mold or form and producing a vacuum on the underside of said diaphragm to press the same against said mold and interposed hat-shape. .5. A process for shaping and hats, comprising placing a hat-shape a perforated mold or form and a flexible diaphragm, and producing a vacuum on the under side of said diaphragm to press the same ressing against said moldand'interposed' hat-shape.

'6. A process for shaping and .pressing 75 softening the size in. the hat-shape by means of heated vapor,- and drawing the flexible 90 membrane against said hat-shape by means of a vacuum.

9. An apparatus for shaping and pressing hats, comprising a mold or form, a thin fiex1- .ble membrane, and pneumatic means for 95 pressing said membrane upon a hat shape between said mold and membrane.

10. An apparatus for shaping and pressing hats, comprising a. mold or form, means for introducin heated yapor to soften the 109 size in a hat-s ape upon said mold, a thin flexible membrane, and pneumatic means for pressing said membrane between said hatshape and membrane.

11. An apparatustfor shaping and pressing hats,-comprising a case aving a perforated top, a chamber beneath said top, steam and vacuum pipes leadin to said chamber, through which steam is a terna't'elysupplied to and air evacuated from said chamber, and a thin flexible membrane adaptedwto' be drawn upon a hat-shape upon said perforated topy, the evacuation of the .air from said chamber.

12. apparatus for. ing hats, comprisinga case having a p'erfo-- rated top with a'hat'form thereon achamber beneath said to steam. an vacuum pipes leading to said 0 amber, throughwhich isteaiu-gisflalternately supplied to and air :iev acuatedfrom said chamber, and a thin flexiblejmembrane adapted. to befdrawn upon a. hat-shape upon saidperforated-Itop by the evacuation: of the air-from said chamber.

' .;13.,- An apparatus'for sha ing and pressing-whats, compr sing a. case aving a perforated t 0p, said topbeing shaped in the form a 1 ofia hat form, a chamber beneath-said top,

and a flexible diaphragm,

tween and pressing shaping and press- I;

steam and vacuum piges leading to said In witness whereof, 1 have hereunto si edchamber, through whic stam is alternately my name in the presence of two subscri lng supplied to and air evacuated from said Witnesses.

chamber, and a thin flexible membrane FERNAND STOFFEL. adapted to be drawn upon a hat-shape upon Witnesses: sald perforated top by the evacuation of the J ULES ARMENGAUD, Jeune.

air from said chamber. Gzfislum. BELLIARDI. 

